The International Panel of Elders was formed at the 1999 global consultation in South Africa, at the same time as the formation of the International Council of Initiatives of Change.

The mandate of the Elders is to be an informal ‘resource body’ supporting the world fellowship of Initiatives of Change and the International Council.

The Panel of Elders consists of up to twelve individuals, with a wide background knowledge and understanding of and care for IofC’s world fellowship, encouraging spiritual growth, and where necessary, working for healing and reconciliation within and around the IofC family. 

They can work and speak as individuals or as a group, maintaining confidentiality on matters put before them, but have the freedom to discuss with other elders unless asked not to do so.

Email Panel of Elders here

Geoffrey Craig (UK)

Geoffrey studied Metallurgy at Strathclyde University in Glasgow, and midway through his course he took a year out to work with Initiatives of Change in East Africa, part of the time travelling with the musical “Harambee Africa”. After further study in London he travelled to Australia and then Papua New Guinea, and while there he took a decision in faith to work full-time with IofC rather than taking up a career in metallurgy – he has worked full-time with IofC since 1969. He spent three years in Papua New Guinea and Australia; he married Veronica Phelps in 1975 – both felt a calling to serve in Asia and soon after they spent two years based in Philippines and Hong Kong.

Returning to Scotland in 1978 their first son was born in 1981 and that year they received an invitation from the Japanese IofC team to spend time in Japan – this led to 4½ years in Japan and East Asia, working to encourage good relations and teamwork between different nationalities. Their second son was born on home leave in 1984.

Since their return to UK in 1986 they were based in London until moving to Edinburgh Scotland in 2008. Geoffrey has been part of FLTfilms/IC Productions from 1987 and he was also one of those responsible for central support and co-ordination of IofC and for the move of the London office of IofC from the Westminster Theatre to its current location at Greencoat Place. He also served as Secretary of IofC (UK) from 2001–2005.

Jean Fiaux (Switzerland)

Jean Fiaux was born in 1943 in a village near Lausanne, Switzerland, where his mother was a teacher and his father worked in town. Both parents had been in the Oxford Group and they were at Caux with their two very young children in the summer of 1946.

Jean studied political economy and then went to Vienna to learn German. As a student, he was involved with youth meetings and conferences at Caux. In 1969, he decided to give all his time to the work of IofC. In the following years, he shared his time between Caux and Geneva, and took part in actions and conferences in some other European countries.

In 1978 he married Maya Stahel and they accepted an invitation to go to Australia and help with the training courses based in Melbourne. They spent two years there. They came back to Caux in 1981, after a short stop at Panchgani. Based at Caux, Jean took more and more responsibilitiy, first with the general administration and then with the finances of Caux. He has been a member of the Council of the Foundation Caux-Initiatives of Change for 20 years and responsible for cash and financial services of the conferences. During this time he also got involved in the Caux village association and the protestant church.

In 1997 Jean and Maya moved to a village at the lake side, about half-way between Caux and Geneva, making it easy for activities in both places. After leaving the Foundation Council this year, Jean accepted to take the presidency of the Hahnloser Foundation, one of the main sponsors of Caux. During his free time, he likes singing in a choir and his favourite hobby is bird watching.

Bhanu Kale (India)

Bhanu Kale met Initiatives of Change (then, Moral Re-Armament) in 1969 as a student in Mumbai, India. Being a son of a full time communist trade union leader, Bhanu was enamored by the dream of “changing the world”. He worked full time with MRA between April 1973 and March 1979 which included about two years with Himmat Weekly. 

He has done his Masters in Sociology and is a writer in Marathi (a language spoken by almost 100 million people). Nurturing Indian languages, which are facing major difficulties in these days of globalization, has been his passion for many years. He has written four books in Marathi (three novels and a travelogue) and for the last 14 years has been editing and publishing a monthly called Antarnaad (which means inner rhythm).

For the past many years Bhanu has been one of the Holding Trustees of Friends of Moral Re-Armament (India) which looks after the overall work of IofC in India. For six years he was a member of the Executive Committee of the Trust and for subsequent three years he was the Managing Trustee. Among other things, he also started Disha, the IofC quarterly published from Panchgani which he edited for the first ten years. He has traveled on all five continents in connection with the work of IofC.

Bhanu lives in Pune with his wife Varsha and daughter Priyanka..

Keisuke Nakayama (Japan)

In 1962, aged 20, Nakayama met IofC as a college student and had a life-changing experience. As a full-time worker (1963–1970) he participated in various programmes including Up With People (1965–1967) in the USA.

Having worked in the Auto business for 22 years, he became the Managing Director of the (IofC) MRA Foundation, Japan; Director of the former Odawara Asian IofC Centre (1992–2006), and Director of the Language Institute of Japan-II from (2004–2006), during which time he worked closely with the management team of the IofC International Association of Japan (IIAJ).

He is currently serving on the Board of IIAJ. Nakayama is married with five children and has six grandchildren.

Joy Newman (Canada)

Born and educated in the UK Joy trained and worked as a junior secretary before going to Germany for two years as an Au Pair.

She worked for Getty Oil in the UK for three years before choosing to work as a full-time volunteer with IofC in London. Joy joined Anything to Declare and with the cast of 100 travelled to India, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand before returning to India. She then worked in Bombay on Himmat, IofC’s weekly magazine, for three years. In 1978 Joy married Keith Newman of Canada whom she met washing coffee pots in Caux! They have lived in different parts of Canada and are now settled in Calgary, Alberta.

Joy has been involved in Creators of Peace, Bridges to a Common Future, (IofC projects). She has been National Coordinator of Initiatives of Change Canada and Secretary to the Council of Management. She now sits on the Council of Management and operates MRA Books, distributing IofC literature within Canada.

In an effort to remain connected with the local community Joy has volunteered with an Emergency Youth Shelter, with the Elizabeth Fry Society as a court worker, and in various positions in the Anglican Church of Canada. She co-founded of the Ottawa Jubilee Coalition, and has taught ESL (English as a second language) for new immigrants.

Samuel Mxolisi Pono (South Africa)

Born in Queenstown, Eastern Cape Province, Sam now lives in Pinelands, Cape Town, with his wife Virginia. They have four children and one grand-daughter.

He has been working with IofC most of his adult life and has travelled extensively, including attending the ILO (International Labor Organization) conferences in Geneva. One highlight was working with Conrad Hunte (Former Vice-Captain of the West Indies Cricket Team) and others to promote racial unity in Britain.

Sam and Virgina are promoting racial reconciliation in Pinelands, which was previously an all-white enclave. He plays gigs with the Jazz Impressions but is also setting up a music school. This aims to give young people the skills and opportunities to achieve their dreams and to help them avoid self-destructive behaviour. He is passionate about passing on moral and spiritual values along with the teaching of musical instruments.

Helena de von Arnim (Colombia)

Helena was born in 1941 in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. In 1961 she married Dietlof von Arnim and they have 5 children and 11 grandchildren. Having studied at the ‘University of Life’ Helena has a “master’s degree” in Daughterhood, Sisterhood, Marriage, Motherhood and Grandmotherhood!

She met MRA in 1980 and having seen the film For the Love of Tomorrow her life completely changed. Since then Helena has been working to live up to the four values—honesty, purity, love and unselfishness—as well as looking for the guidance of God in times of silence, and sharing what she has found with others.

Since Helena visited Caux for the first time in 2003 she has been working towards making Initiatives of Change a reality in Colombia. As a Catholic and a catechist, Helena believes she needs to live the way those who are committed to IofC live. That’s what she wants for herself, her family and friends and especially for her country, where she believes it will be a great help in ending the 60 year armed conflict. The “Peace Circles”, in which she has participated, have already contributed to this.

Glenys Wood (New Zealand)

Glenys worked as a primary school teacher in Auckland for three years before travelling to India with an IofC musical in 1966, having been introduced to IofC by her parents. She then joined the musical drama 'India Arise' and assisted in educating the younger cast members. She later worked with IofC in Britain, for five years, at the Tirley Garth Conference Centre and in London.

Since 1971 Glenys has been a full-time voluntary worker with IofC in NZ. Together with her husband Peter, whom she married in 1977, she has hosted many occasions and guests in the MRA home.  In 1990 Glenys and Peter moved, with their two children, to Fiji for three years. They facilitated local initiatives in peace building and reconciliation between Fijian and Indo-Fijians. She continues to support the team in Fiji. Back in NZ she has focused on building better understanding between the races: a highlight being the Maori Queen and the wife of the then Prime Minister attending Caux together in 1997.

More recently, Glenys has been part of the support team of the first three Action for Life (AfL) training programmes, working in various Asian countries. She has run workshops in Wellington on healing family relationships, having received training from IofC Taiwan. Glenys is now co-ordinating the Peace Circle programme nationally.

Her interests include the Pan Pacific & South East Asian Women's Association, of which Glenys has been Wellington Area President. She has also trained as a teacher of English as a Second Language (ESOL) and as such worked with new immigrants to NZ.  Her latest interest is her role as a grandmother!